The Delhi CJP Tiranga March brought students, Left-wing activists and ordinary citizens to Connaught Place on Friday, October 16, despite the detention of key Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders and a heavy security deployment.
The gathering grew through the evening as smaller groups merged and raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the government. However, the demonstration lacked a clearly identifiable command structure, with no prominent CJP leader visibly directing the crowd after the detentions.
By around 8 pm, hundreds of protesters had reportedly been detained, while smaller groups continued moving through parts of Connaught Place.
CJP Leadership Detentions Leave Protest Without Clear Direction
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke had called for the Tiranga March but was detained shortly before the demonstration began. His fellow leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were already under arrest. All India Students' Association leader Neha Bora was also detained from Mandi House, according to the report.
With several prominent organisers unavailable, the gathering developed through separate groups converging rather than a centrally coordinated mobilisation.
Around 5.25 pm, approximately 100 protesters carrying the national flag marched around Connaught Place's inner circle near Palika Market. Meanwhile, around 100–120 Students' Federation of India members gathered near Tolstoy Marg, close to Jantar Mantar. Activists associated with AISA also joined the demonstration.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was reported to be the only prominent political leader present, arriving at Connaught Place around 7.30 pm.
Protesters Bring Different Grievances
The gathering included committed demonstrators, curious onlookers and people with grievances extending beyond the immediate protest. Slogans included calls for the Chief Election Commissioner to resign and criticism of the police.
Delhi University student Kavya Sharma said she had come because she believed carrying the national flag and standing up for a cause was not a crime. Another protester used the gathering to draw attention to violence involving Kuki, Meitei and Naga communities in Manipur.
These differing motivations illustrated the varied concerns represented among the people who assembled, even as protesters remained dispersed across several locations.
Heavy Security Surrounds Connaught Place
Authorities deployed Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and Sashastra Seema Bal personnel across Connaught Place's inner and outer circles. Officers monitored the gathering, while drones were reportedly used for surveillance.
A senior police officer said detentions could be avoided as long as protesters remained peaceful and did not enter Central Park. Security personnel repeatedly asked small groups to disperse amid prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The demonstration also recalled an earlier CJP protest in July, when the detention of senior leaders reportedly left the gathering without clear direction. The latest march again highlighted the challenges of coordinating a demonstration when key organisers are unavailable.
The turnout in Mumbai was also reportedly limited, with only a few dozen people gathering at Azad Maidan, according to sources cited in the report.
The Delhi demonstration showed that people were willing to assemble despite the security presence, but coordination and leadership remained significant challenges for the CJP-led mobilisation.
For official updates, visit the Delhi Police website.
Conversation
Be kind and stay on topic. Comments are moderated; abuse, spam and personal attacks are removed. Report a problem